On the other hand, we need to be confident in our faith, so we need to listen to what non-Christians say about Christianity. We have taught breakouts on evolution at camp and there are many good books you can read on the subject that Ill put at the end. Our cultural moment is a cauldron of information and celebrity worship in which the cult of personality can ferment and grow. Doubt always accompany faith. The same goes for apologetics in general, doesnt it? First, I am right in the middle of teaching an Apologetics course for the Snowbird Institute, so my mind is already focused on reasons to believe in God. Youre gonna get through this. He says that he wants to raise his kids to believe in right and wrong, but he doesnt have a standard for it. A former church elder with a seminary education, Neil now writes mostly about the struggles of former evangelicals living in the midst of a highly religious subculture. As far as Im concerned, Jesus was as real to me as he possibly could be without physically manifesting himself in my presence. Rhett seems really reluctant to talk about it, so Scarlett doesn't ask more questions. I found myself identifying with them a lot through experiences from our very similar pasts. Ray Comfort is the Founder and CEO of Living Waters, a bestselling author, and has written more than 100 books, including, The Evidence Study Bible. It morphed into doubts surrounding biblical reliability, the historicity of the resurrection, and the general idea of hell and judgment. As a creative team, Rhett and Link have consistently pushed their limits instead of sticking to their comfort zone, a fact that has helped them immensely. This channel has made Rhett and Link the fourth highest-earning YouTube stars 3 while reaching audiences around the world. Please make sure all fields are filled out. had a broader perspective on certain subjects it freed them to consider that Both guys were raised in an environment that assumed Christianity as a part of the culture, and ultimately that did them a grave disservice. Through the deal, Mythical has expanded its busine That said, I sympathize even more with the ones who follow their own consciences out of the fold, in time being accused of every impure motive imaginable. As an apologist, my knee-jerk reaction was also to grab my computer and start typing refutations with the force of a thousand suns. And, in reality, hes not living that way either. He suggested that if all these apologists and theologians were to recant their stories and change their opinions, their livelihoods would be at stake. The REAL Reason Why Rhett and Link Fell Away from Christianity Ray Comfort Founder & CEO, Living Waters Rhett and Link, extremely well-known YouTubers, recently posted videos talking about how they left the faith. Later in Pauls ministry, however, he writes that Demas ended up loving the present world more than the things of God and walked away (2 Tim. Aside from the fact that most apologists have day jobs, this leads to a fair question: what would, stand to lose if they didnt capitulate to culture on an issue like same-sex marriage? Let me help you out here. I love it. But I also know from experience that the work of defending the faith requires enormous amounts of self-deception, closing one eye and squinting the other to make sure things look the way theyre supposed to look. Gone with the Wind as Bildungsroman or Why Did Rhett Butler Really Leave Scarlett O'Hara? This is what Ive been teaching them. To some, it smells like beauty and life; to others, it smells like death. They decided to go get vasectomies together and filmed the experience for a video . At this point in his story, Rhett uses some of the exact same language I use when trying to explain what its like trying to look at the world through a completely different lensjust to see if things look any clearer. News flash, these are all grounded in the Christian worldview that he is trying so hard to distance himself from. Get your FREE eBook about deconstruction: 'Before You Lose Your Faith'. On Feb. 22, the Rhett & Link's Mythical Entertainment agreed to buy Smosh in a deal that would unite two long-running YouTube channels. Demas traded eternal hope for earthly treasure. So to Rhett and Link I say enjoy the journey and keep bringing Life and Light to those around you!Peace, Steve, this resonates so much with me, Thanks , 2023 Beyond The Pale. I never got a reply. Since the release of their stories, several apologists and scholars have offered sound rebuttals to some of the claims made by Rhett in particular. 1:24; Col. 4:14). I could go on and on, but Ill wrap this up by looking at the last analogy Rhett used to explain what its like to leave the faith of your upbringing. He occasionally sends judgments to earth to remind us of this. Rhett and Link's collective spiritual deconstruction isn't ultimately a deconstruction of the Christian faith but of Christian subculture. By the way, Evolutionary theory doesnt have a sufficient cause for the universe coming into existence out of nothing. I hope youll take the time to watch/listen to the show for yourself, along with the follow-up episode in which Link tells his own story about how he left his faith behind after he became an adult. Lets keep this conversation going, please. (Tim Challies reviewed the book once upon a time.) you? Anticipating the response he would get for opening up about all of this, Rhett addressed the No True Christian argument right off the bat: I want to emphasize how big of a deal it was to me. I never got a reply. Our cultural moment is a cauldron of information and celebrity worship in which the cult of personality can ferment and grow. First, he read Francis Collinss (the other Francis), The Language of God, and was convinced that evolution is true. Its stable. This is how we know what there is to know about Jesus. Rhett James McLaughlin) and Link (a.k.a. (And Im a regular YouTube watcher)But then Rhett & Link appeared suddenly on my radar when their silo crossed over into mine. the way they had been taught was not the one size fits all that they thought. The song became the most-played country tune on the radio for six . But then on top of all this, adding insult to injury, they keep underestimating the sincerity of our search, which may be the thing that stings the most of all. They acknowledge that Christianity, The apostle Paul identifies his friend Demas as a fellow worker who was with him while imprisoned in Rome (Philem. While their degrees and first jobs were in engineering, funny video production ultimately became their claim to fame. With the help of the Holy Spirit, they became convinced that Christianity is true as they gazed deeply at Christs beauty. But it was Jesuss turn to be under the microscope next. I cant help but notice the similarities. Rhett and Link met each other way back in Elementary school in North Carolina and theyve stuck together into adulthood, at one time passing through a ministry phase as full-time staffers with Campus Crusade (now called Cru). All their YouTube Channels have a good amount of engagement, subscribers, and views as a result of their engaging content. Help train Christians to boldly share the good news of Jesus Christ in a way that clearly communicates to this secular age. Rhett Butler (Born in 1828) is a fictional character in the 1936 novel Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell and in the 1939 film adaptation of the same name. It gives you stability. So I think that I was primed to hear what they had to say with an open (but biblically-grounded) mind. Ray Comfort explains the reason why this happens so often with those who used to believe in Christianity.Visit https://www.LivingWaters.com to view more free Christian videos, articles, and to get tracts and other resources by Ray Comfort and the Living Waters team.FACEBOOKLiving Waters: https://www.facebook.com/lwwotmRay Comfort: https://www.facebook.com/official.Ray.ComfortINSTAGRAMLiving Waters: https://www.instagram.com/livingwatersofficialTWITTERLiving Waters: https://twitter.com/LivingWatersPubRay Comfort: https://twitter.com/RayComfort Not only was I taught everything I ever needed for my faith in Christ could be found in that aisle but later, sadly, that was what I went on to teach others. Its no wonder, then, that every time we turn around there is yet another deconversion story being proffered as the newest ex-evangelical smoking gun. Fast forward 35 years to a day replete with a global internet and smartphones, and Postmans words ring with the chill of prophetic accuracy. As part of their healing process, they are all told to declare to the world their reasons for why being a Christian is wrong. Rhett mentions to Scarlett that he goes to New Orleans to visit a young boy who goes to school there, because Rhett is his guardian. Much of their appeal comes from their history together. We homeschool because the public education system is a liberal conspiracy to brainwash children into believing things like global warning is real. I was crushed. Rhett and Link also believed that women were not treated fairly with regard to leadership roles in the church (I mean it is the 21st century - Helloooo? What about the beginning? It didnt take long before quickly discovering these two were not some boys who got saved at some church youth camp alter call and then used their new found Christianity merely as a buttress against sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll after that. Commercial Kings: With Rhett McLaughlin, Link Neal, Shayne Pax, Brandon Taylor. Did it also come from that pair of chromosomes? Love these mugs! Where does that come from? Today that simple choice to follow Jesus and learn to engage Life through his Way comes with a whole lot of additional belief requirements. Her exact date of birth and lace of birth is currently not known yet. or that could they even still call The youth-group kids left flustered and agitated by doubt mightve been entirely unperturbed had they heard those arguments from another source. He feared that truth would be lost in a sea of irrelevance.. But then I remember this is part of how they protect themselves, knowing too well the fragility of their own faith. Do you think you know more than all these other brilliant people before you? Of course that knife cuts both ways, although the people who say this never do see how it should undermine their own confidence, as well. When Scarlett was seen in Ashley's arms at the saw mill she knew. He even says that he understands the argument that you cant have a moral law without a moral law Giver But then he says, that he just doesnt know. My understanding of who Jesus is is not just based on my experience with him personally, but its also based on what the Bible has to say about him. How is my marriage going to stay together? As you listen to Rhett, he says that there were basically two things that converged to lead him away from the faith. I remember my former Christian marriage therapist asking me point blank: What are you getting from this? Rhett and Link, extremely well-known YouTubers, recently posted videos talking about how they left the faith. Relocating with their families to Los Angeles around this time almost certainly made it easier for Rhett and Link to think through some of their questions, removed as they now were from the Christ-Haunted atmosphere of the Bible Belt. One main issue discussed by them is the problem with LGBTQ and church. Rhett's argument here against Christianity wrongly very wrongly assumes questions about sexuality are in some way new, as if, despite having survived thousands of years, Christianity is unable to withstand the whims of human desire. It isnt the skeptics who crave constant assurances were on the right track. It would appear that despite how destabilizing and difficult their deconstruction processes were, they no longer wanted Christianity to be true. They like to call themselves "Internetainers." Charles Lincoln Neal and Rhett McLaughlin first met on the first day of first grade in Buies Creek, North Carolina, when they were held in class during recess as punishment for writing profanity on their desks. Because of his feelings. Most of my life I saw the one or two aisles of Evangelical / Charismatic Christianity I was raised with as the totality of the whole store. and African Christians, and South American Christians, and Indian Christians, With the YouTube-ification of our culture, though, consumers are connecting not with actors playing characters, but real people who allow them to peek behind the curtain of their lives. What he learned in time was that history disconfirms pretty much every major story from the flood of Noah all the way down through the Conquest of Canaan by the Israelites, with things not much improving for the next several books. Around the time I was nursing a wounded ego for being stood up by the Ricky Schroder fan club, Neil Postman made a prediction in his 1985 book, Amusing Ourselves to Death. One of the metaphors I like to use for my own personal spiritual deconstruction and reconstruction is that of a supermarket. Sign up to get our newsletter your inbox every day. Christians today must be ready to provide a compelling defense for Christand even play some offenseas we demonstrate an alternative story to deconversion. The stir online is probably exhausting. Rhett led off with his intellectual doubts and Link countered with an emotional appeal. Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world. This implies that they are, in fact, deceiving people. I wont rehash all the arguments on which he touched (thats your own homework to do if youre interested), but in the end Rhett settled for himself that the gospels are a mix of religious propaganda as well as actual history. Like me, he leans toward believing that Jesus was a real person, even if he didnt do magic or come back from the dead. And, think of what the Apostle Paul said in his first letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 15) where he said that if it isnt true that Jesus rose from the dead, then we need to be pitied more than anyone else. Rhett explains that his first step toward evolution came through Francis Collins' book The Language of God. Read what Steve Ham has to say on this subject. their home town version of Christianity placed on them. 24:12). It's easy Christianity-it left Jesus out a long time ago. None of this is brand new; its been around for years and years and years.. Watch the rest of their discussion in the video above, and read Goins-Phillips story on Rhett and Link here. This was so convenient because the gift card is digital and gets sent right to your email! Rhett and Link, extremely well-known YouTubers, recently posted videos talking about how they left the faith. Now that they no longer need to outsource their morality to God they begin to take more responsibility for it themselves. Later in Pauls ministry, however, he writes that Demas ended up loving the present world more than the things of God and walked away (2 Tim. This creates a sense of community, in which we come to experience love and loyalty for our favorite YouTube celebrities. What I want to address is that even if Evolution were true (which I dont believe it is) there are way too many things in this world that need explanations that the Naturalistic worldview cannot answer. Should Christians Embrace Evolution? Thats what pushed us out, in the end. Every bit helps, and is greatly appreciated. And soon discovered some of these other traditions had different perspectives on some of the issues that often trigger Evangelical spiritual deconstruction: I came to realise the Evangelical aisle of the supermarket is a wonderful aisle in the supermarket but it aint the only aisleas much as they often like to claim it is. Im almost sure I said those same words at some point in my journey. For Rhett, it started with questions relating to science, the age of the earth, and evolution. This implies that they are, in fact, deceiving people. Its okay to have doubts. Rhett and Link have grown their brand performing hilarious satirical songs and engaging in zany stunts such as duct-taping themselves together, playing wedgie-hangman, crushing glow sticks in a meat-grinder, and flinging bags of dog feces at one another's faces. Episode 29: What Atheists Wish Christians Knew About Them, "I'll be there! The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics helps Christians show unbelievers the truth, goodness, and beauty of the gospel as the only hope that fulfills our deepest longings. And, like he says toward the end of yesterdays talk by Link, the boat is real. The youth-group kids left flustered and agitated by doubt mightve been entirely unperturbed had they heard those arguments from another source. I was recently at a conference where a prominent Christian leader was asked to give his opinion on what good could come from a Biden America and Continue reading, How are Christians supposed to think about Game of Thrones? They are known for their comic songs, viral commercials, skits and the daily show, Good Mythical Morning. for a rude awakening when you travel. And if you like what you read on Godless in Dixie, please consider sponsoring me on Patreon, or else you can give via Paypal to help me keep doing what Im doing. 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